TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have banned a dozen women actors from working for failing to observe the republic’s strict dress code which includes mandatory headscarves, an official said on Wednesday.

“Those who do not follow the law, will not be allowed to work,” Iran’s Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting.

On Tuesday, Iranian media reported that a dozen actresses who were found to be violating the hijab law — among them Taraneh Alidoosti, Katayoun Riahi and Fatemeh Motamed-Aria — “will not be allowed to play roles in movies”.

Alidoosti and Riahi were among the public figures who were briefly detained during last year’s widespread protests over the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini. Amini had previously been arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2023